Chapter 90: Three Faction Meeting Part 4

Beta read by Shigiya.

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-Kuoh Academy-

What a messy situation I ended up in. From the beginning I never really liked Vali. Putting aside how our first meeting went, the fact he gave me a taste of what it truly felt like to face a stupidly broken character as a beginner player. In a way, I saw that moment as a lesson to be learned and digested, a realization that showed me the kind of dangers present in this world where strength ruled above all. 

Yet even after my alliance with Azazel, Vali always gave me an unpleasant feeling. As if they were waiting to sink their claws into me. Then again, the me back then wasn't that trusting to begin with, the man in question just gave off a worse feeling than anyone from my original world. Putting me on edge for months, years even despite how Azazel promised he wouldn't attack me again. 

I constantly had my eyes on him, never leaving my back defenseless against such a person. Though this feeling started to fade somewhat throughout the years, it never went away. It was paranoia, I knew that, I was probably overthinking everything once again… letting my doubts and pessimistic side cloud my judgment. In the end, I trusted that calm logical voice in my head, if Vali hadn't done anything that bad through all this time then the first encounter must have been bad luck. After all, why didn't the White Dragon Emperor kill me? They didn't have any animosity or hatred of one another, so it made sense to me at that time. 

Yet even I never believed Vali would cross that line, for some reason that remained a constant in my mind that I could not see him breaking his loyalty to Azazel. In the end, it seemed that this world liked to prove me wrong in every way possible. Or maybe that sick bastard wanted to get a reaction from me, to see me crumble, to see me angry, to see me lose it once again after so many years.

But I refused to play his games, I couldn't afford to… or else a bigger disaster would sue. 

"Are you feeling alright, partner?" Vritra asked as the dark dome around me started to crumble, fully disappearing in a matter of seconds. I saw the disastrous battlefield around me with an impassive gaze. The number of mages has somewhat decreased compared to before but it is still as numerous as ever. "You don't need to hide it from me, I can sense how you're feeling right now."

"You do huh? Well of course you do. I'm not trying to hide it… Say, Vritra, aren't you getting tired of all this senseless fighting, ridiculous competition,, and rivalry that makes no sense? I know some of Ddraig and Albion's story but there was never any mention of why they even began their fight in the first place. But for some reason, I kept ending up getting targeted by the two, more so from the white one? Why does this guy keep coming after me to such an extent?" My voice trembled as I struggled to keep control of my emotions. 

Frustration, anger, exasperation, and just every other negative emotion that I barely name where swirling inside me for this ridiculous situation

No, I was not trying to hold myself from losing control, I knew the consequences of that if it were to happen and I wasn't a fool to ignore my past mistakes. I just feel tired, exhausted, and baffled to be treated unfairly by everything. My eyes, gazing at the figure of Kalawarna… all bloodied and just barely clinging onto life by mere threads. 

Asia… I needed to get her to Asia as soon as possible. Having little care of what Vali wanted to accomplish, his betrayal, or anything related to that Goddess. My main concern was getting Kalawarna to safety. "Let her go, Vali." Even though I never said it to her face, I was always thankful to that woman who became my unofficial secretary. If it weren't for her then many parts of my life would have been a chaotic mess that I would have drowned in as I tried to juggle my normal life and my life in the supernatural. She helped both my mother and father, aiding them when I never asked her to. A piece of information Akeno mentioned not that long ago, I still hadn't thanked her for that. A part of me wanted to bring the Fallen to meet Aika, those two were two peas in a pod duo with their personality. I could help her spend more time with Gabriel, because I knew that she missed her. 

I was not going to lose here.

"Fine. I don't need her anymore anyway." Vali didn't argue with me on that end, throwing her body over which I gently caught. I used hundreds of tendrils to carefully lower her down to my arms, holding protectively. 

'Still breathing.' Relief came forth as I checked her state, it wasn't pretty but far better than what I feared. Damn it, just what was I thinking allowing her to participate in this event when the chances of an enemy attack were this high! It made no sense, with all of the leaders gathered in one place making me far too confident and Vali betraying us didn't even cross my mind at that point. 

"It is not your fault. I do not have any reason to believe that the White Dragon Emperor has any personal vendetta against you specifically, despite your predecessor killing one of his hosts. Albion only views Ddraig as his only true rival and opponent. But like every host of us dragons,  it seems his has different ideals and goals to accomplish."

Of course, he did. A troublesome individual till the end. I looked at the duo in front of me, the Goddess of Warfare and Battle in the background with Vali donning his iconic white armor. It shined with a white brilliance as power cascading off of him. Even without having started the fight, I could sense how much of a challenge he was… how big of a monster this person was. "Vali, I knew you were capable of many atrocious things. You are a bastard, a jerk, a crazed battle maniac who now turns out is willing to attack his own allies. But this is a new low for even yourself with the Goddess behind you."

'Vritra, I'm calling Ophis. Get ready to prepare whatever you had planned.' I spoke within my mind, taking a deep breath and analyzing my surroundings. 'Let's see, it's a matter of time before mages attack me. Having to deal with these two is already beyond me and facing an army on top of that will get me killed. It doesn't help that these mages are acting as a barrier of sorts to keep anyone on the outside from getting in with their leaders focused on keeping Sirzechs and the others busy for a bit.'

'You don't need to worry, partner. If all goes well, then the disadvantage in numbers and power will be temporarily removed and we can have our allies join us for reinforcement. The leaders must have noticed our predicament by now, we just need to hold the fort.' His confidence both made me chuckle and worry. Wasn't he being far too assured of this method? Nothing could be gained without sacrifice, and to jump the gap between me and the opponent required a substantial amount of power. Not to mention the fact that Cao Cao was most likely watching from the shadows, that weapon of his would be too big of a threat against Vritra. 

'Hahahaha! There is no need to fret, for I do not intend to disappear or put ourselves in mortal peril. Though it's very likely you'll be far too exhausted afterward and thus be unable to continue aiding anyone… that is a better outcome than whatever we are facing currently. Just buy me some time.' 

Damn it, the dragon was right. 

"Hah, part of me wants to know about your reasoning for doing so as it can't just be to fight me… no, I don't even need to ask you. Your personality and attitude are so predictable that I can make a rough guess. Let me see, this peace conference would have allowed us to live peacefully with little conflict between factions which means less opportunity for you to fight stronger opponents. Yes… now it makes sense, you're just a kid throwing a tantrum and going to Mommy Nemain because Dad wants to take away your little fun time." That smirk of his died down while mine rose. "Right on the mark aren't I? With this ongoing war between factions, you'll have the chance to go against the heavy hitters. In that twisted mind of yours that doesn't have the mental capacity to think beyond that of a ten-year-old child, you'll want to face bigger and stronger foes till you will certainly one day be swallowed by your delusions and arrogance… By trying to challenge Great Red or Ophis." 

I wanted to throw everything at him, these words weren't even harsh enough to allow me to calm down in the slightest. While I smirked in front of him, it was all but a mask I wore to fool him. 

"Is that a host you're happy with, Albion? Is that truly what you call one of your stronger wielders? I reckon when there exists not a shred of pride within his heart? What a mighty White Dragon Emperor you are, Issei is far better than you in that regard. At least I know he'll never betray anyone nor backstab anyone — a true Emperor in my eyes regardless of his strength." 

"..." Vali didn't give me an answer, merely frowning as I could see my words must have hit a nerve. 

"Hoh, the final holder of the Black Dragon King title is not only an oddity but also a silver-tongued host. Intriguing, Vali certainly doesn't like what you've said, but I can't help but see the truth within your words." Both I and Nemain were stumped by his answer, he unexpectedly didn't try to shield Vali nor react negatively. Rather, he seemed amused. 

Then his voice returned grave and filled with power as the armor glowed brighter. "But words, no matter how deep they cut or how much of the truth they pull onto the surface, remain as just words in the end. You can preach the truth about strength and honor all day but regardless, actions remain the best weapon one can hold to impose their view upon the world and turn it into the new truth. A fact that can not be changed is the gulf between you and Vali, only when you reach our level will your words truly carry the power and influence to shake the heart along with the supernatural world. By now, my impression of Vali will not change, we understand each other just like your relationship with Vritra and I am ready to offer all of my aid to my host for whatever path he chooses. What about you?" 

Violet light shone as Vritra's loud voice roared with equal amounts of pride. "Humph, have your memories deteriorated, Albion? My partner's will coincide with mine. We are one and I will burn the title of Emperor from your name if I have to." 

The drain upon my magical reserves halted yet I saw the small orb of dark energy form before me. The initial stage of Absolute Delete Field… where was he sapping this energy from? 

I turned to face Nemain, the woman having stayed mostly quiet since arriving. "I'm not surprised that you are willing to ally yourself with this guy or use dirty tricks, you might even give Loki a run for his money." Memories returned to me, moments of the past when we first clashed against each other. I remember she managed to contend against my first true Balance Breaker. Not to mention capable of pushing back Gae Bolga without landing a scratch. 

Vritra mentioned that if he hadn't fought Setanta, then the outcome could have been very different. He ran on fumes at the end due to it being the first true transformation. 

Nemain scoffed, "Don't flatter yourself, boy. You are just a little thorn on my side that I am going out of my way to cut. This conflict between Devils, Fallens, and Angels isn't bad per se given they can prove to be quite beneficial for us sisters. We are very different yet we grow stronger as time passes on. I do not need to resort to mere tricks and illusions to reach my goal as I have an abundance of allies who share the same objective. This time… this time your precious master won't be coming to save you, Black Dragon King." She chuckled, hiding her mouth with her left hand, as she looked at me with a condescending look. 

Oh well, I could never truly understand this woman. 

"We'll see." As soon as those words came out of my mouth, the dark orb expanded into a dome around me. Absolute Delete Field deployed yet not expanding beyond my area nor going anywhere near those two. 

Vali grinned.

"Let's see what you have planned."

{Break}

(3rd PoV)

"What do you think he's planning?" he asked the dragon gazing at the dark dome erected around Hachiman's body. 

"I am not sure," said Albion, a hint of both amusement and wariness evident in his tone. "He is still a wild card we cannot afford to look down upon. And from what I know of Vritra's personality, he is certain to aid his host in any way possible. So just in case, I would prefer for you to not get caught surprised like last time. Though we must make haste, it's only a matter of time before the leaders are done with their opponents." 

Vali hummed, "They can come at any time, I'll be more than glad to take them all in a fight if I have to. In fact, this might be the best-case scenario as I doubt that Hachiman has anything other than Absolute Delete Field as a trump card. That spear, while dangerous, is not a dragon slayer and can be broken like any other weapon." 

"Don't let your desires control you, Vali! Even if you have mastered Divine Dividing, you should not allow yourself to believe you can handle all of them at the same time. Lucifer alone is a Super-Class Devil, coupled with Azazel and the Seraphs will be too much for even you to handle." 

Once again Albion worried about his host's eagerness to test his strength against those more powerful than him. A Cadre level entity posed little danger, yet this failed to apply to Maous and Seraphs who he doubted could be beaten at his current stage. Hah, in a way, the young Black Dragon King was right. His description of Vali's childlike compulsion to jump into such scenarios sometimes gave him a headache. In a way, he envied Vritra, as the dragon may not have gotten the ideal host to work perfectly with a Dragon-based Sacred Gear — he still possessed a calm and analytical personality.  

Meanwhile, Nemain looked around to gauge whatever tricks that boy was about to use. She made sure to keep an eye on her surroundings, refusing to let herself get caught by surprise by the Leviathan Maou. The fact that her avatar got defeated so easily by a single attack stung her pride, a defeat that forever tainted her image. A quick flick of her finger followed by the creation of a magic circle breaking with a malevolent aura, shooting a small red orb that struck the dome before breaking down into nothingness. "Interesting ability, no wonder Kokabiel died back then."

This time, a far grander circle formed, a preparation for a stronger attack which unfortunately broke down as soon as it appeared by a flash of white light. 

[Divide!]

[Divide!]

"..." She glared back at Vali, annoyance flashing before her eyes.

"He's my opponent, not yours." Commented the White Dragon Emperor, keeping her in check. "If I remember correctly, you also have a grievance against Serafall from last time. So don't waste your time here and go fight her instead, but don't you think you can steal this opportunity away from me." 

Just as Nemain was about to turn her wrath against this insolent man, both of their attention snapped to the dark dome where their senses picked up an interesting change. Albion who had been keeping a watchful eye on the situation reacted with surprise. "That feeling, is it Vritra? No, that can't be… it doesn't make sense. " 

Confused by what the dragon meant by that, "Vali, move!" his question got stuck in his throat as received a haste warning from his partner. Hair rising all over his body, the white translucent wings came to life and rushed far away from his position where from the sky both witnessed a large pool of shadows and black fire forming in a circle right beneath Nemain. The Goddess, slower in reaction, could barely release a single word before an enormous beastly jaw rose, dark scales upon its surface, hundreds of sharp fangs, and a serpentine head coming with three crimson eyes. 

Snap!

The jaw swallowed the goddess in one motion, flying upwards showing off the remainder of its serpent-like body that attracted the attention of everyone around. A single thought resounded within their minds, "A dragon!?" 

Yet even Vali couldn't express his shock when another blanket of shadows burst forth next to him. "Another one?" 

A similar scene played out, with a second head of a dragon emerging and attempting to devour his body whole. Hundreds of tendrils all surround his body, aiming to grab onto his limbs and block off any exits. Unfortunately, his speed remained superior as Vali dodged every single one of the tendrils with relative ease, using a couple of Divides to slow them down and create enough distance for the dragon's jaw to completely miss hi— Hm?" 

His following words died as a small acute pain coming from his legs shocked the young man as he found a third head having sneaked up behind him and sunk its fangs, the armor preventing them from heavily wounding his legs but cracks started to appear. "What's going on here?" 

His cool slightly withering away as he used his Sacred Gear's power a few more times on the head before striking it hard enough to release its hold. Not willing to experience another similar fate, he rushed ahead and cut through the neck of the beast. The dark scales rendered his effort dozens of times harder, no different from using a blunt knife to cut through leather. 

"W-What!?"

"Drago—argh!" 

"Get away!" 

More shouts of terror erupted around him, and the once chaotic battlefield turned into a horrifying sight of dark portals littering the land with similar serpent-like monsters emerging from them and devouring the mages whole. Each and every one of their efforts now focused on staying alive or running away, no longer bothering to face the others. Requiring the combined efforts of dozens of mages to slow down a single head and another group just to kill it but not without losing half of their members. These beasts didn't show any fear of death, madness and rage filling their eyes as they didn't stop their assault one bit. 

"What is going on here, Albion?" Vali demanded, certain that the white dragon would have answers to this… mess. "Last I checked, the Prison Dragon wasn't known to have any kids!" 

"This… what a remarkable change, no wonder that dragon was so confident! Even in such scenarios, he lives up to his moniker. I can't even imagine how he created this technique." Albion spoke with a tone of curiosity and wonder, not the least bit worried about Vali's situation. "Hmm, though the energy feels like Vritra, it's far too diluted and shows no sign of intelligence or care for their lives, they behave like drones following orders." He said right as his wielder crushed another head, moving at blinding speed across the battlefield to evade the sea of tendrils trying to take hold of him afterward. 

"Just tell me what's going on!" 

"Humph, patience. This is as much of a surprise to me as it is to you. But I believe I have an idea of what's going on here." He said, taking another few seconds to think and analyze the scene before giving a brief resume of his findings. "Vali, trying to cut through another one of these drones." 

"What? Did you perhaps miss what I've been doing this entire time?" he joked, rising through the sky until he reached the barrier's limit. With the whole school grounds in sight below, watching as more of those mini-black dragons attacked.

"Just do it! I must be certain about my theory. And shouldn't you be happy with the outcome? Now you have more opponents to test your skills against, so don't bother holding back that much, the Black Dragon King has not arrived yet." Upon hearing those words, the man nodded. The initial appearance of these creatures surprised him a bit, now that his mind returned to a peaceful state, his power surged. 

The flurry of tendrils that headed towards him struck a wall as an invisible wall of a magical barrier surrounded the White Dragon Emperor. Unable to pierce through they could only bounce off or get turned to ashes by the growing aura. "While these things are not that powerful, their sheer number is a pain to deal with." He spoke, disgust showing on his face behind the helmet at the sight below. It is no different to a pit filled with snakes writhing around while attacking anyone that they got their fangs on. Following Albion's words, he let one of the monsters rise up into the sky before cutting through its skull with his wings acting as a weapon. The slice was clean enough that momentarily no blood was spilled until one half slid away showing the internal organs and brain.  

"So it is a real body and not a magical construct… weird, I'm certain that Vritra does not have the ability to clone himself. But these are not perfect clones, they do not hold the strength of a Dragon King and are much smaller than his full size. I see some deformities on a few of them, that one over there only has two eyes rather than three. Ah, the one you just killed is missing the violet pattern across its body." Countless theories rushed through Albion's mind, trying to think about a possible explanation of how this could have been possible. "Something happened in that dome… hmmm, we shouldn't have waited. That was a mistake." 

"A mistake indeed."

[Delete Field!]

"—!" 

This time, a surge of dark power expanded from behind him, a field of power much stronger than the one cast by Hachiman expanding and engulfing half of the school grounds. From a portal twice as big as the ones below, another dragon emerged. But unlike the rest, Vali tensed at the clear difference of size and presence. A dragon bigger than Tiannin due to its length, three malevolent red eyes staring back at him coupled with the authentic aura of a true Dragon King. 

"Vritra… so you've returned," Albion spoke, a statement which the black dragon affirmed without hesitation. 

"It's been a while since I've smelled the fresh air, the scent of fire and blood along with the freedom of having my own body back. Even though it's temporary." The serpentine dragon spoke, making a sense of excitement rise within the man's heart. "Never would I believe that the first opponent I'd face in my current state would be the famous White Dragon Emperor. I'm certain Ddraig must be cursing my very existence right now out of envy." 

Even though its jaw wasn't moving, his booming voice could be heard throughout the battlefield. 

"Ddraig? That muscle head is most likely to laugh in jubilance, he craves battle and a source of entertainment regardless of where it comes from. Pride may be his defining trait but that is intertwined by his shameless nature."

"Is that so? I honestly don't remember much between you two, when I fought against Indra and his army… Virochana claimed you two were friends at one point. I wonder what happened for your relationship to deteriorate to such an extent?" 

"Virochana…? Ah, Mahabali's father and King of the Asuran Gods — this brings back memories. That man always liked to get involved in matters that did not concern him, but to answer your question; I don't remember." Albion's answer had the Black Dragon King sigh. Not out of disappointment or even anger, but instead showing understanding and helplessness within those eyes. "You, just like any other dragon, should know how cruel the passage of time is for beings like us. The fact that we are turned into mere weapons of war does not help. Memories of the past have turned foggy and I can't even recall why all of this started in the first place. I doubt Ddraig himself is aware of the reason, we no longer harbor any true hatred for each other. White and Red Dragon Emperors are bound by destiny to fight each other to the death."

"Would you look at that, Albion Gwiber fully submitted to the wills of the world? How the mighty have fallen, but then again… this applies to everyone I guess. No one can truly escape this fate aside from the Dragon Gods themselves." 

"It was Ophis wasn't it?" Out of nowhere, Albion mentioned this phrase which took Vritra aback. "No need to hide it. It's the only logical explanation I can come up with. Without Sephirot's Graal, there is no possible way you could create this many living copies of you possessing both flesh and blood. How you are able to control them and give them a soul I haven't figured out yet, but you have indeed exceeded your capabilities with this move." 

Tension rose as both sides started to prepare themselves for a final confrontation. The revelation about Ophis's influence seemed to have changed the dynamics on the battlefield. Vali's eyes narrowed as he processed the information. "What kind of deal did you make with the Dragon God?"

Vritra's response was a chuckle. "You think too highly of my influence, White Dragon Emperor. Ophis does as Ophis pleases. The Infinite Dragon God doesn't make deals anymore; she simply acts in ways that suit her whims."

The tension escalated, and without further words, Vali lunged forward, wings extending with white radiance, as he prepared to unleash his power.

[Divide!]

His aura flared, and the air itself seemed to shudder as he sped towards Vritra, ready for combat. The latter, too, braced for the clash, the two Dragon locked in a battle that transcended the physical.

Vritra, shrouded in dark energy, met Vali's charge with a sudden burst of speed. Their collisions created shockwaves, shaking the very fabric of the magical field around them.

[Divide!]

The battlefield became a symphony of roars, clashes, and bursts of magical energy as the two Dragons engaged in a high-speed battle. Vali's Divide abilities clashed with Vritra's dark powers, creating dazzling displays of light and shadow. Yet the stalemate barely lasted, as the continuous usage of his Sacred Gear's ability started to weaken Vritra.

Vali on the other hand kept getting stronger and faster, his wings beating with celestial power as he sought to disrupt Vritra's maneuvers. "Humph, a Dragon King at the end of the day is still nothing but a King and not an Emperor. Without the ability to boost yourself, you'll never reach my level." The white-haired man mocked, sending a rain of dazzling spell attacks all over the serpentine dragon and rendering him unable to move. 

Woosh! 

"▂▂▃▃▅▅ーーー!!!" Vritra roared, his body glowing a bright violet light as a stream of black fire shot out of his mouth and nearly engulfed Vali. The latter noticed a weird change… specifically the fact that Vritra now exuded a denser aura than before. 

"He regained his power back?" The same one he divided a couple of times now fully recovered and firing waves of black fire. "Argh!" The onslaught further damaged his armor, chipping away bit by bit till he once again used his Divide ability to disperse the attack. 

"Did Ophis provide him with a well of energy to draw upon?" Albion wondered, seeing these two continuous clashes not weakening Vritra for that long. The dragon always seemed to return to his prime state in a matter of seconds. "Wait… Vali, target that pit below right now!" 

The man didn't argue, following the dragon's instructions, he shot an orb of concentrated magic which detonated on impact. Using a large chunk of the taken energy from the Black Dragon King to fuel the explosion, it cleared a large number of those clones and showed a sight that answered all of his questions. 

"What the…" Vali started, but was a little put off at what he saw. Within that pit, the Goddess was bound, hundreds of tendrils enveloping every inch of her body and wriggling around. A hazy look in her eyes with a face blushing crimson red as she kept panting with each movement. Those things drew power from the woman, fueling the dragon who once again recovered within seconds. But what threw him off guard and the reason for the Celtic goddess's current state, was the fact that the tentacles were taking an active role of playing with her body. 

They had her spread eagle with her limbs wrapped in a tight vice. It wouldn't have been that bad if it wasn't for the fact that she wasn't completely naked if one was able to look through the writhing tentacles covering her form. Another pair of tentacles had decided to grab a hold of her breasts, squeezing and rubbing with vigor that would leave a mark if she ever got out of her restraints. But one tentacle had decided to insert itself in her mouth, mostly to keep her silent.

Overall, not something that the White Dragon Emperor was expecting at this moment.

"A strange way to use Absorption Line, Vritra… I'm honestly speechless." Albion noted, a little off-putted , getting a nod from Vali who had to agree with him. 

"If you must know, I have no control over how they move. They are optimized to keep the target completely bound and adapt with more they fight back. So if she had stopped resisting, she wouldn't have been in such an embarrassing position…" 

Vritra weakly protested, unable to hide the slight embarrassment within his voice. He was being truthful, as those tendrils really moved like they had a mind of their own, and not even his regaining this body seemed to stop that. 

"Putting that matter to the side, I've been meaning to ask this question myself. Why did you betray your allies? Hachiman may have mentioned how you lust for battle, but I can't see that being the only case here. Even you, Albion, you would never let your host hold such a simple mindset as it coincides with the likes of your rival." 

Instead of sneering that question away, Vali sighed before answering calmly. "I got the offer a long time ago. Just around the time you and Hachiman went to fight that reincarnated hero in Ireland. Nemain met me in person, we spoke and she had more to offer than Azazel. Nothing more, nothing less."

"... Is it due to the presence of Ophis?"

"No, I know what you'll try to offer, but I do not change sides just with the presence of a Dragon God. I'm just cooperating due to my own reasons. They gave an attractive offer, 'Wouldn't you like to fight against the Asgardians?'. When they said that, as someone who wanted to test my power, I couldn't decline. Azazel, dislikes the idea of fighting with Valhalla, right? He hates war just as you all do — but not me."

Vritra frowned, "That's a narrow-minded way of thinking. You can't expect to continuously walk this path before you lose yourself and become a machine of war with no humanity left within you. This side can offer you that challenge you so desire, with given time, Hyoudou Issei can one day be that fight you so desire or better yet… there are plenty of contenders in the otherworld more than willing to push your skills to the limit." Sairaorg's face came to mind when he said that. 

"That's unrelated, nor does it matter. I know about him and I also know about how weak the Red Dragon Emperor of this era is. Give him enough time? By then I would have grown more powerful as well — he just can't keep up. I just want to fight eternally. If it weren't for your existence, I would have changed sides a long time ago, but this little peace conference just had to happen… it left me with no choice." 

Then Vali brought his arm up to his chest. "You say that I will lose my humanity? Hilarious, I'm afraid you are very ignorant to understand the true scope of my nature."

As he said that, several folds of devil wings grew from his back along with his wings of light.

"My full name is Vali Lucifer. I'm a descendant of the previous generation's Maou Lucifer who died. However, I'm a child of mixed blood born from a father who was the old Maou's grandson and a human mother. I obtained the Vanishing Dragon's Sacred Gear because I'm half-human. It was just by chance. However, I, who is a true blood relative of Lucifer and is also the Vanishing Dragon, was born. If there really is such a thing as fate and miracles, I may be that."

{Break}

(Hachiman PoV)

This turned out to be a world-shaking twist. If I knew anything about Devil politics was the amount of importance the name Lucifer carried. Made sense given he and Lilith were their ancestors. This name even became a title given to the equivalent of a King to the Devils with Sirzechs. 

"Huh, so he's a Lucifer descendant? That complicates things." To my side, Serafall spoke, covered in blood that was not hers and a smile that brought a chill to my bone. I had no idea the fate of Shalba and the other leaders who showed up, though I didn't have much hope for them given Sirzechs returned as well with little to no injury. Though a brief flash of frustration did show on his face in the beginning, so perhaps they escaped? I wasn't sure, nor did I ask. 

Azazel sighed, "It's true. If there is such a ridiculous existence, it's him. He'll become the strongest White Dragon Emperor among those I knew in the past and present, and probably of all time as well."

"What a unique existence, never in all my life did I believe I would see such anomaly. He's most likely a bigger contradiction than even you, Hachiman." Mentioned Michael, casting a golden light over Kalawarna's body and mending her wounds. He did warn that his skills could not compare to the likes of Twilight Healing, but I didn't care as he managed to keep her body stable and slowly start to recover. The bleeding stopped long ago and a bit of color returned to her face. "This is accounting for the fact that you somehow managed to stand here while Vritra is over there with his full body. Anything you want to add?" 

Meanwhile, Xenovia, Kuroka, and Raynare rested at the back, having gotten injured by both Vali and the mages. 

"Eh, it wasn't my idea. I just found out he could do this today, and even that was through the help of an ally. Though it shouldn't last for long, he'll come back soon enou—what the hell are you doing?" I couldn't even finish my sentence before I found Serafall strutting without care in the middle of the battlefield before grabbing a handful of tendrils around Nemain's body — kicking her face a couple of times before coming back. She wrapped them around her arms, waist, and chest before giving me a thumbs-up. 

"There you go! Feel free to suck me off as much as you want!" 

"..." 

Thank God Akeno and Rias weren't here, the last thing I wanted was for both of them to dive into the pit and make a scene that would forever haunt me. Thankfully, it seemed that the tendrils recognized she wasn't the intended target and left her body, much to her dismay. 

"Oh no, you're not!" Shouted the Maou, grabbing one of them and tying it up around her arm with enough strength to nearly snap the poor thing. "You're going to use me up, whether you like it or not. So start sucking!" 

"..." 

"..."

"..."

"I want to do that too, nya!"

Everyone was rendered speechless, Grayfia giving me a weird stare that I wasn't sure I could describe, but I couldn't help but cry inside. I was not the pervert here! Why wasn't anyone saying anything!? Though of course Kuroka of all people would want to do the same. 

"I can help as well." Xenovia said, grabbing a squirming tendril and wrapping it around her stomach "My reserves may not be that big but I'm confident it will provide some assistance!" I didn't even get to say anything before each of them grabbed a tendril and forcefully wrapped it on their bodies. Kuroka tried to lick the damn thing till I swiftly smacked her head with a rock. 

Raynare on the other hand glared back at me. "Don't think I'll let myself be molested and raped by your little tentacles shit yet. You'll need to force yourself on me for that!" 

"Then why are you holding one!?" 

"None of your damn business, you idiot!" 

These women were going to be the death of me. 

"As much as I appreciate your… enthusiasm, Sera, but I don't believe this will be enough. The White Dragon Emperor has increased the rate at which he's using Divide and constant flow of energy can't keep up from the looks of it." Azazel was right, Vritra, while showing he was able to keep up, was soon going to exhaust himself and me as well. Divine Dividing was just too busted and required everyone on the battlefield to be bound by Absorption Lines to allow him to overwhelm Albion. Not to mention how the Absorption Line had a limit of how much it could absorb every second.

"Vritra knows what he's doing." As soon as I mentioned those words, Vali's power once again surged as an enormous pressure soon descended upon the battlefield. 

"Oh no," Azazel exclaimed, all of us noticing the space around Vali start to change. As multiple motes of light started to surround him, this sudden sense of dread showed on Vritra's face and worry on the Devil's side. "That idiot! He's going to use Juggernaut Drive!?" 

Vritra in the distance instantly knew the danger that was about to befall him and started to prepare another burst of Absolute Delete Field. But the attack was taking too long to form as he still was in the middle of recovering after Vali used Divide a multitude of times." 

At that moment, a conversation I had with Vritra came forth. Many years ago he mentioned such an ability, one that he claimed to be the ultimate transformation going beyond a Balance Breaker. I didn't have to think too long to realize what was going to happen. "Michael-san, is Gabriel out of the barrier with the others? If so, please see if we can contact them!" I hastily asked the Seraph who nodded his head before a magic circle formed on top of his palm with the image of Gabriel. 

"Gabriel, where is Sona? I need to talk to her quickly!" The blonde initially showed me a confused face but followed my words and had Sona appear on screen, the bespectacled girl's face a mess possibly from having to deal with other mages outside the dome.

She tried to speak but I cut her off. "No time to speak, I don't know if this will work or even how it works in the first place. Just grant my request. Sona, grant Vritra the permission to be promoted into a Bishop or Queen right now!"

The heiress showed a befuddled face followed by an enraged shout from Rias in the background. "Vritra? But you were the one I ch—" 

"Just do it!" I didn't have time to explain my case in detail. Seeing the urgency, Sona steeled herself.

"Fine, I grant Vritra permission to Promote to—"

As soon as she mentioned those words, through my link with the dragon who overheard the conversation. His booming voice spread across the battlefield.

"Promotion Bishop!" 

Right before my eyes, it honestly seemed like he had grown twice his size with how intense the aura he became. A combination of demonic and draconic energy bursting from his body as for the briefest of moments he managed to surpass Vali's aura. The small orb of dark energy tripled in size within a second and fired off in the distance where the White Dragon Emperor was almost finished with his chant. 

"Take cover!" Serafall shouted, her hands brimming with bone-chilling energy before a large cube of ice surrounded all of us. Michael went a step further by having all twelve of his wings surround Kalawarna. 

"Hahahaha, you and Vali are a crazy bunch!" Azazel shouted, excitedly looking at the battle with pure glee. 

The next second, the entirety of Kuoh Academy was covered by a spherical void consuming everything in its path. 

At that moment, I once again felt I was relieving that nightmarish night all those years ago.

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The next 5 chapters of Snafu, and my other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters, Steel Eyed Faker soon to be 3 chapters, Hound having 2 and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.